The City Corp. board of directors approved at a called meeting Thursday a joint funding agreement between the corporation and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

City Corp.’s expense will be $89,525, and for that amount, General Manager Craig Noble said three services will be provided by USGS.

The first, and most significant, he said is USGS will conduct a low flow condition dye tracer study to determine in-stream travel time and dispersion rates in the Arkansas River at Whig Creek.

The testing will cost $60,600, Noble said. The second step of the process will be a report detailing the findings of the testing, which will be provided to City Corp. by April 2012 at a cost of $27,100. USGS will also conduct low flow testing at the weir at the utility’s wastewater treatment plant at a cost of $1,825.

Noble said this agreement is “an opportunity for City Corp. to get some important information” that will be used during the process for obtaining a permit to discharge treated wastewater into the Arkansas River.

The matter is timely, he added, because Oklahoma is currently experiencing drought conditions and is not currently releasing any water into the Arkansas River system. Under normal conditions, the USGS and City Corp. would have to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to not release into the system for a 72-hour period.

Noble said although the utility and USGS had a good relationship with the Corps, each time such a flow stoppage was attempted previously, a rain event occurred that prevented the Corps from stopping the flow.

The USGS will conduct the dye testing Oct. 22, Noble said. The board voted unanimously to approve the agreement.